As Lent brings us to the holiest of weeks in our Christian calendar, and we reflect on the crucifixion and death of Jesus, it’s difficult not to be moved by the awful plight of sisters and brothers across the world.

Wars that are raging across the globe appear to have an effect on the whole world. While we worry about the cost of living, others, who are locked in the midst of violence, worry about how they can keep themselves and their loved ones alive  at all costs.

In his poem, ‘The Coming’, R S Thomas paints a picture of Jesus and the Father looking down on a very broken world, a world probably not unlike the world today. The poem ends with Jesus saying, ‘Let me go there.’

This is Jesus, who at the Last Supper gave us the gift of His body and blood, our spiritual nourishment through life. This is Jesus who died for all of us, those who worry about things like the cost of living and those who worry about keeping alive at all costs. He died because He loved us.

As you kiss the cross this Friday at the 3 o’clock services, thanking Jesus for His great love,  offer your kiss not only for yourself but also for our sisters and brothers caught in conflict and violence who can’t get to church as they are trying to stay safe,  trying to stay alive.

Have a blessed Holy Week
Sr Maria x